An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A substance which remains → deformed after an applied → force ceases to act.

→ plastic; → substance.

1) That of which a thing consists; physical matter or material.
2) Physics: A species of matter, commonly homogeneous, that occurs in macroscopic amounts.
3) Philo.: That by virtue of which a thing has its determinate nature, which makes it what it is, as distinguished from something else.

M.E., from O.Fr. substance, from L. substantia "being, essence, material," from substans, pr.p. of substare "to stand under or be present," from → sub- "up to, under" + stare "to stand," cognate with Pers. istâdan "to stand," as below.

Zirist, literally "to stand under," from zir-, → sub-, + ist "to stand; to be standing, "from istâdan "to stand;" Mid.Pers. êstâtan; O.Pers./Av. sta- "to stand, stand still; set;" Av. hištaiti; cf. Skt. sthâ- "to stand;" Gk. histemi "put, place, weigh," stasis "a standing still;" L. stare "to stand;" Lith. statau "place;" Goth. standan; PIE base *sta- "to stand."